Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Shunta Ishihara is a pioneering thoracic surgeon whose work centers on advancing minimally invasive techniques for lung cancer and mediastinal surgery. His most significant contribution is the development of **robotic subxiphoid-optical thymectomy**, a novel approach that uses a subxiphoid port for the robotic scope to eliminate instrument collision and provide a surgical view comparable to median sternotomy—a major step forward in thymic surgery. In lung cancer, Ishihara has been at the forefront of **robot-assisted segmentectomy**, capitalizing on the high precision of robotic systems to perform anatomical resections, a technique gaining prominence following the JCOG0802 trial. His work also includes innovative solutions for complex complications, such as a **one-stage closure of large bronchopleural fistulas** using a pedicled latissimus dorsi flap after preemptive antibiotics, reducing the need for two-stage procedures. With his most-cited paper accumulating 14 citations and a growing portfolio of robotic thoracic surgery techniques, Ishihara is shaping the future of oncologic chest surgery, demonstrating that robotic platforms can expand the boundaries of what is achievable with minimal invasiveness.